Warriors 119, Philly 97: That’s why all those bad East teams like Pietrus so much (and +1 for C-Webb!)

See? Mickael Pietrus is an impact player (but probably only in the Eastern Conference).

Sorry, that’s a little snide, but it’s true: MP isn’t always so hot matched against Carmelo Anthony or Manu Ginobili. In fact, he’s often awful (though I admit, I’ve defended him more than most).

But if you toss the Warriors most-pending free agent out there against the general East lousiness of this “playoff caliber” 76er squad, and voila… MP looks like Scottie Pippen reborn, or at least that’s what those daffy East GMs are thinking, I can only presume.

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Face it, the 76ers aren’t the worst team ever, but they’re basically a bunch of young wild small forwards who can’t shoot a lick, pass, create a shot or bother to get back in transition defense. That’s MP’s arena! He can shine in that world!

Tonight in the Warriors’ run-over victory, Pietrus was 7 for 7 shooting, scored 23 points and once again was flitting all over the floor–even a dribble penetration, snap-pass, have-vision, spot-Croshere-for-a-dunk.

I agree with the TV guys: I’ve never seen Pietrus do that. Ever. Really, I’ve never seen Pietrus do one of those things–dribble, pause, see the open man in traffic, get it to him–in four seasons.

MP: I know Miami likes you, Cleveland likes you and, man, I’m sure Philly wants to field a fullhouse of athletic, erratic small forwards, so maybe you can end up there, too. But when you leave the Warriors this summer, you’d better head East.

Or just show that you can do this same stuff against Phoenix, Dallas, Utah or the Lakers.

* Onto the Webber Meter, of course. The Meter makes you laugh, makes you cry, makes you want to shut off the Internet, if you’re AT&T/Yahoo.

He hit jumpers. He didn’t get torn apart on defense. He gobbled up rebounds. He didn’t get in Brandan Wright’s way, though it was close a few times. The Webber-fied starting unit did not dig an immediate 10-point deficit.

What a player. Yes, it was, by far, the best night of the Webber Experiment, and a clear +1 on the Meter, his first positive mark of the new legacy.

YES. A PLUS.

I am so happy! He’s still -5 combined on the Meter, but things are trending tremendously upward! If you’re a homer!

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* I could be cynical and point out that this Webber Renaissance came against the dazed Sixers–Samuel Dalembert, wake up!–and also point out that every other Warrior who got decent minutes put up nice numbers.

For CW, playing the Sixers is like getting a few minutes on an oasis, before heading back into the searing Sahara.

After his first-quarter stint, Nelson had a lead and could comfortably sub in Al Harrington, Matt Barnes, Pietrus, Croshere… and when they played well, that just opened everything up.

I don’t know if that’ll happen against anybody else–maybe a few more Eastern teams and Memphis and the Clippers–but when the Warriors are the deeper team, they usually win.

When they can get a fairly easy win with Baron making only 2 of 16 shots… well, you know the Warriors were playing Somebody East.

But they’re 35-22 now and that’s good no matter what.

* My, it took me a long time to get to Brandan Wright, but oh well: That was a career-high 12 points, 11 coming in a first-quarter burst, 3 blocks 7 rebounds in 19 minutes, +12 on the night.

Wright’s good. His teammates are starting to look for him as he runs the floor, because if he gets it in space, that ball is getting thrown down.

He’s going to be very, very good. He’s only getting better. It’s about friggin’ time Nelson started playing him and even if Wright tosses in a stinker or two in the next few weeks, Nelson has to keep playing him.

(Nellie has given Webber five stinkers without penalty, right?)

OK, again, Wright’s bonus play was also only against the 76ers, but that kind of springy, flying, active play is translatable against every kind of team.

Wright vs. LaMarcus Aldridge on Sunday at Oracle. Yes, I’d like to see that very much.

* Non-Warriors note: I’ve long suspected that Philly is all the same player and now I know it. Philly won’t be an authentically good team, and I’m not talking about a fraud East playoff berth, until it finds a player who can create offense for teammates and sink a three now and then.

Not bad players. I’d take any one or two of those players. But NOT ALL OF THEM.

Igoudala can be a very good player. Carney is very explosive. Young has a future. Green is… apparently well-liked by friends and family. But they all run, they all turn it over, they all can’t go to their opposite hand, and they all can’t shoot three-pointers.

Philly is second-to-last in free-throw percentage and last in three-pt percentage and in made three-pointers (by a lot; separately, the Warriors make an average of almost 6 more ‘treys’ per game than Philly) and those marks will only cascade downward since many of the ’3s’ were made by Kyle Korver, long since traded away.

That means Philly can’t shoot. The Sixers have a decent overall team FG%, but that’s all from close in. Drives and offensive-rebound put-backs. In the sorry East, you get that stuff fairly easily.

By the way, the East really does stink.

But the 76ers can’t shoot from outside or the FT line. Which means they can’t shoot. Can’t. Shoot. Mid-range jumpers, runners, wide-open three pointers. Can’t shoot.

Hard to win in the NBA when you can’t put the pill in the net, even in the lousy East.

Oh, and I’m sorry Andre Miller fans, but I still believe he’s the most overrated player in the league and has been for a few years.

Dogs it on defense a lot of the time. Can’t shoot a three-pointer if his paycheck depended on it–thankfully for him, it doesn’t, and it’s an enormous paycheck. Makes horrendously risky passes. Slow. Can’t finish…

Andre’s sort of the Bizarro Baron–Baron is thriving because he can do everything Miller can no longer do.

If the warriors can beat up on bad east playoff teams, why can’t they beat atlanta and chicago, which right now wouldn’t be in the playoffs?

http://forums.warriorsworld.net/main/msgs/1723798.phtml gswfan4ever

keep hating on webber
even in good games you try to make it sound like nothing
what an agenda boy lol

OakFoSho

Wow, I think this will be the one time in 2008 that I agree with a Kawakami write up, well at least part of it. Peitrus belongs in the East, not because he can’t be serviceable in the West, but because he can be a #2 option in the East. We only need to look at Mike D. in Indiana to see what the East can do for a players career. He is having his best year ever, thanks to the Least.

Well, that it, now back to disagreeable fun.

Webber is getting better and better for the Dubz, and once again, you cannot start to judge him until the playoffs when his value will really shine through. He willl be able to provide the Dubs with that extra passing/mid-range jump shooting/rebounding (kinda) big man in the half court set.

The simple fact that Webber was able to keep up with the fastest team in the East is a testament to his improved conditioning and play. The Sixers are the poor mans Warriors of the East, and average a tone of fast break points. So much for Tim’s prediction of total failure against the faster paced opponents.

Brandon Wright, keep it up kid, just make sure the league doesn’t catch you with those spring shoes, cause we all know it’s not possible to jump that high.

OakFoSho

boridge

yet another impressive post. “Cant. Shoot”…love it. Laughing out loud. Thanks for that. As for Wright, completely agree. This kid has a natural skill set that’s off the charts. Remember how long it took Biedrins – another guy with a wonderful skill set – for it to click? Wright’s light years ahead and is proving that he can make fairly consistent contributions in his first year (which in reality has only been about, what, 40 minutes of playing time?). Anyway, I can’t wait to see him mature. He will be very special.

UncleGreg

Good post Tim. Looking at the schedule, AB’s health issues couldn’t have happened at a better time. We should be able to be competitive in every game until 3.8 vs. the magic. Any word on his progress?

Also, your thoughts on what BD’s minutes should look like through the next stretch of games? I couldn’t help but ask why he was still in the game when they were up by 20 in the 4th.

JustPuked

Posted in the last Warrior Tread:

# JustPuked Says:
February 29th, 2008 at 10:19 pm

I’ve been in the Webber is a dump camp all along but even I can admit Webber looked good tonight against Philly. It could be he just got up to play his old team or…he could be finally getting into shape. I’m not holding my breath but for at least one game Webber is getting a +1. Tim, you’ve been all over him when he stunk it up (and man has he ever) will you give him props when he steps up?

The better story is of course Brandan Wright. Man that kid just radiates talent. And Pietus, if only he played like that all the time…

-

Nice to see you give Webber his due…kinda.

You can just see why Nelson and Mullin gush over Wright. Tim was waaaaaay off on saying Nellie didn’t like the kid. Normally he’s much better at knowing what’s going on internally, not sure why Tim’s so off on that one. According to his own KG theory, the trade for Brandan was in place BEFORE the KG craziness and Minny wanted Thorton. Wright is a keeper. Can’t wait to watch him continue to shine.

Soem

+1 on post #3.
Wait and compare Webber’s progress to other players who have been out of the NBA all year — like PJ Brown.

On Pietrus, he has been very unprofessional (in my book). Kudos on solid game against Philly, but where has it been all season? Has he been laying down on the Dubs because he expected to be on another team (so why help the Ws win, from his perspective)? Effort has nothing to do with East or West.

Well now that Pietrus knows that his next contract will depend on his performance during the rest of this season — we will continue to see a different (better) level of effort and focus from the Pie-man.

Chris Webber said all along he thought it would take 10 games to become fully reacclimated to the Warriors after a nearly 14-year absence. If game No. 8 is any indication, his schedule might just be on target.

With his performance Friday in the Warriors’ 119-97 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, Webber delivered his most compelling evidence to date. He showed that a man who turned 35 on Saturday, and was one of the early survivors of microfracture knee surgery, could still be useful to a team that plays as fast as Golden State.

In 18 minutes, Webber scored eight points, grabbed seven rebounds and handed out three assists. For once, the starting unit showed no signs of lethargy in shooting out to a 15-2 lead.

Even more impressive than Webber’s raw numbers were the smaller details, things not necessarily encompassed in the box score.

It was Webber’s screen at the top of the key that allowed Monta Ellis to get free for an alley-oop layup from Baron Davis. It was Webber’s one-handed rebound and dish out while holding off Philadelphia center Samuel Dalembert with the other arm that led to an open fast-break look for Davis. It was Webber’s brisk movement down court that set himself up to convert a 4-foot fast-break runner on a pass from Davis.

“I’m just trying to make the best of the opportunities,” Webber said. “B.D. was looking for me and that really helped me to get involved. He was really on me, like, ‘Score, let’s get it going.’ So
that really helped me.”
To Davis, the need to establish a rhythm with Webber was almost as important as recording the win against the 76ers.

“The season is drawing to an end, and we’re going to need his offensive productivity,” Davis said. “I wanted to make sure I got him going and just get him feels and touches to where he didn’t feel like it was forced. Just get him involved, get him easy shots, make the game easy for him.”

With that same hope in mind, Warriors Coach Don Nelson has been carefully selecting his spots for Webber’s use. Webber did not suit up against high-octane Phoenix (this was before Shaquille O’Neal made his Suns debut) and despite having no interest in the concept of being a reserve, came off the bench against a Seattle team that is trying to run more often.

“He’s an older player that I think I have to be more careful in his matchups, give him a better chance to succeed out there, so I’ve been trying to do that the last few games against certain teams that are hard for him to guard,” Nelson said.

When he’s struggled – and he’s been getting the blame for a lot of things – he’s not always the reason.

“He is what he is. He’s been playing with his brain certainly more than his brawn and we understand that. What we need to do when he’s in the game, our energy level has to pick up and we have to support him more, I think. Otherwise, it’s just not going to work,” Nelson added.

THE ORIGINAL TAUNTING POINTS:BY GOLDEN BUDDHA

Mano de Nada

DAMN if we played PHI every game Webber would be an all star. I thought we acquired him to help with the extremely talented front courts of the west though? 8pts and 6 boards on Dalembert and co. doesn’t necessarily translate to competence against Duncan or Boozer.

I really hate the excuse “he’s been out of the NBA for 8 months” by the way; a serious, dedicated and disciplined athlete would have stayed in far better shape during the off season. Webber looked ready to toss horse shoes at the local park, and that’s about it.